Fastening-distributing mechanism



April 25, 1939. J. F. STANDISH ET AL FASTENING-DISTRIBUTING MECHANtSM Original Filed May 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 zoz z 4 z 26 7 z z 3% a amlllnillamww IIIIIIIIII/III lelliwi April 25, 1939. J. F. STANDISH ET AL FASTENING-DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM Original Filed May 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a. nd 7 00", a??? W H m 0 w J 40 5 2 w w 3 Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE FASTENING-DISTRIBUTING IVIECHANISM John F. Standish, Winthrop,

and Lester S.

Macdonald, Beverly, Mass., assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 5., a corporation of New Jersey 32 Claims.

This invention relates to fastening-distributors and especially to those adapted for the supplying of nails to heel-attaching machines. The present case is a division of an application for improvements in Fastening-inserting machines, filed in our names in the United States Patent Oflice on May 28, 1937, with the Serial No. 145,320.

An object of the invention is to provide for the adequate and convenient delivery to a machine, of one or more kinds or sizes of fastenings by mechanism which is to a high degree free from the defect of clogging and in which the separation of successive groups or loads of fastenings is accurately made by means which may readily be inspected and adjusted for different fastenings, and which is smoothly actuated by simple, yieldable power-connections. To this end, improvements have been made in the receptacle from which the delivery of fastenings is effected; in the manner of elevating the fastenings to the raceway in which they are gathered in series; in the clearing of crossed fastenings from the raceway and the actuation of the clearing means; and in the arrangement and actuation of the device by which successive loads of fastenings are separated from the raceway and the adjustment of the separating means in a plurality of directions.

In the accompanying drawings, 1

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a particular embodiment of the distributor of this invention, together with a portion of a heel-attaching'machine with which it is associated;

Fig. 2, a broken rear elevation corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 4, a broken perspective View, illustrating the raceway-clearing means;

Fig. 5, a top plan view of the separating mech-' anism; Fig. 6, a front elevation thereof, and Fig. '7, a broken perspective View of one extremity of the separating mechanism.

The illustrated distributing mechanism is arranged for the delivery of two kinds of nails. Mounted side by side at the top of the frame Ill of a heeling machine M are two nail-pots or receptacles 253i), 208, which may be generally the same. Each has a hinged cover 202 for the top and a hinged, downwardly and forwardly 'inclined bottom 2%, the latter being held normally closed by swinging bolts 206. The bottom closure may be lowered between opposite side walls 2E8, 298, then furnishing a downwardly and rear=-' wardly inclined chute over which the receptacle may be emptied when the nails are changed. Guided to reciprocate vertically in each receptacle, between the front wall and the hinge of the bottom 204. and receiving nails from said bottom when raised, is an elevating slide 210 operating through the thus-formed space. At the top'of each slide is a series of V-shaped depressions 2H continued by downwardly extending slots 2|2. These are adapted to lift successively nails from the mass in the receptacle to points just above raceway-slots 2I3 formed between the edges of spaced, downwardly inclined plates 2M attached to a'bed-piece 215. The slots receive the shanks of the nails with the heads resting upon the plates, so said nails are con. ducted under the influence of gravity to be delivered in groups or loads at the end of the raceway. Eight of the nail-conducting slots are illustrated in Fig. 1, and those from which delivery is not to be made are blocked by positioning across them hooks 2H pivoted upon the upper faces of the plates 2l4.

-To divide the burden of lifting the nails from the receptacles, the slides 21!! are preferably operated alternately. Fulcrumed at the rear of 25 the frameis an equal-armed lever 2I6 having the ends of its arms connected to the respective slides by links 2l8. One of these links is also pivoted to the upp-er extremity of a slide 220 guided for vertical reciprocation in the frame. A rack 222 is formed upon the slide, and spaced from it, fast upon the frame, is an opposite rack 224. Between and meshing with the two racks is a pinion. 228 rotatable upon a vertically movable actuating slide 228. Upon the last-mentioned 35 slide is a horizontal guideway 230 in which travels a block 2132 carried by a crank-pin 234 projecting from one side of a gear 236 upon a short shaft 231' journaled at the rear of the frame. The gear is driven continuously during the operation of the ,machine through a pinion 238 fast upon a horizontal shaft 248, which is, in turn, rotated through belt-gearing. 242. As the pinion 226 travels up and down under the influence of the slide 228, it is compelled to turn about its axis by its engagement with the stationary rack 224 and, because of its engagement with the rack 222, carries the slide 220 with it, oscillating the lever tit; This raises one of the nail-elevators 21B. and simultaneously lowers the other to make 50 alternate delivery from the two receptacles to the corresponding raceways. "r Instead of the nails being received from the elevators by the raceway-slots, they may pass upon the plates 2M and lie across the slots 213,

movable in vertical ways at its rear face beneatha cover-plate 246 a series of slides 241 operating over the respective raceway-slots and each yield able against a spring 248 interposed between it and an angular extension of the cover-plate. The operating end of each slide has at its center a projection 249, at each side of which is a shoulder 25!. The shoulders travel just above mesons of walls 253, 253 extending along the raceway-plates 2| 4 and rising sufficiently above the upper surfaces of said plates that the projections 24!, as they enter between the walls, shall still clear the heads of the nails N hanging in the slots. The walls are at least as long as the distance of travel of the clearer A. Through a longitudinal slot 255 in each slideextends an eccentric end-poition 251' of a screw 259 threaded through the cover-plate 246-. A lock-nut 26f retains the screw against accidental rotation. The eccentric end 251 serves as a stop for the slide under the in fiuence of the spring 248, and by turning the screw 259, the height of the projection 249 may be adjusted to make sure that it will not engage the hanging nails. The other portion of each clearer has spaced fingers 258 depending-from the bar and movable through spaces in the racewayplates 2l-4 into openings in the front wall of the nail-receptacle. These fingers rest at their lower ends upon the frame to support the bar, dter-- mining its path parallel to the nail-supporting surfaces of the raceway and adapted to sweep back into the receptacle nails which may be dis; placed from the raceway by the slides 24 1' to i'all into pockets 252 in the raceway-wall. Each clearer-bar is attached at each end to an arm 254 pivoted on the upper end of a lever 258 fulcrumed beneath the raceway. The clearer is urged normally forward by a spring 258 uniting the lever to the frame. The lower arm of eachlever has a horizontal extension in which a plunger 268 is yieldable against a spring 262. A 'roll 264 upon the plunger receives contact of a cam projection 266 from the forwardside' ofthe corresponding elevating slide 218. This contact occurs while the slide isdescending and is below the upper raceway-surface. It causes the lever to be turned clockwise, as viewed from the right of the machine, to move the clearer in and remove accumulated nails from the top of the raceway and from the pockets 252, returning 'themto the receptacle. If clogging occurs, compression of the spring 282 by the plunger allows the lever to remain stationary and prevents breakage. Be-' cause the heads of the nails in the slots are he low the upper edges of the walls 253, the crossed nails lying upon these walls are supported clear of the heads, and when swept back into the receptacles by the shoulders 25! of the clearers, these will not engage and carry with them the hanging nails. The projections 248 of the clear ers extend sufliciently below the shanks of the crossed nails that continued engagement with them is insured, and there is no possibility that the slides 241 will jump over the nails. If, however, nails become wedged so positively that a slide might be broken instead of eflecting the clearing, it will yield against its spring 248- and thus avoid injury. I 7

From the series of nails hanging in the race way-slots, successive loads are picked off. To the forward extremity of the bed-plate 215 of each distributor-section, a supporting member 218 is attached, this having at its ends projections 212, 212. Secured to these projections by clips 214, which render removal easy, is a secondary supporting member 216, upon which rests and is secured by screws 218 end-projections from the fering in diameter. Extending for the full height of the inner face of the wall 282 is a depression 284 situated between each pair of raceway-slots 2l8a'nd spaced similarly thereto. These depressions have sufiicient transverse area to pass the heads of the nails to be delivered. Screws 286 threaded through the extensions of the wall-portion 288 and contacting with the primary support, facilitate the proper positioning of the upper edge of the wall 282 and therefore the tops of the depressions 284. This adapts the mechanism to best act upon nails the heads of which are of differ'nt thickness, considered longitudinally of the shanks. Between the end of the raceway and the wall 282, a nail-separating plate 281 is movable, it being provided with a horizontal portion 289 resting upon the primary support 218 and guided at its outer edge by a surface upon the secondary support 216, In the separating plate 281 are vertical slots 288, one for each depression 284 and correspondingly spaced. These slots are large enough transversely to admit the shank of a nail while retaining the head upon the upper edge of the plate. When the plate-slots are carried from registration with the raceway-slots into registration with the wall-depressions, a nail at the end of the series in each raceway-slot which has entered the plate-slot and is held by its head with the shank resting against the wall 282, will be received by the depression, falling through it and through the opening which terminates the depression in the portion 288. Alined with this opening is a passage 288 through the support 218, this being of a diameter sufficient to freely the nail-heads. About its lower end is a recess 292, opening through the front of the support to receive an annular flange 294 upon the upper extremity of a flexible nail-conducting tube 296. The entire set of tubes is releasably locked in place by a sliding plate 298 carried at the under side of the support 218 by slot-and-screw connections 388. This plate has angular openings 382, one for each tube, which, in one position, will admit the tubes to the recesses 282 and then, when moved longitudinally, will be forced against said tubes beneath the flanges to secure them in place. In each raceway-slot 2|3, a series of nails will hang with the heads overlapping the edges of the plates 2 f4, and the forward nail in the slot 288 of the separating plate 281, it being held against advance by the unbroken portion of the wall 282. Upon moving the plate 281 longitudi-- nally to bring its slots into registration with the Wall-depressions 284, an entire load of nails, one from each open raceway-slot, will enter the depressions and be delivered through the passages 290 and the tubes 296. The remainder of the series in the raceway-slots will be cut off from delivery until return of the plate 281 to its normal position. It should be noted that by releasing the secondary support 216 from its clips 214, all the nail-separating elements 230, 282, 28'! and 289 may be removed with it as a unit, together with the adjusting means 213, till and 285. This gives free access to the ends of the raceways and to the separating means.

To effect the reciprocation of the separating plate 281, there is iulcrumed at 304 on one of the support-extensions 2l2, a lever Silt, upon an upwardly extending arm of which a connecting link 3% is pivoted. A hook extending from the inner end of this link may be swung into and out of engagement with a stud 3!!! upon the separating plate. Said plate may thus be freed readily from its actuating connections for removal or to stop its operation. The lever 305 has projecting forwardly from it spaced lugs 3 I 2, 3 l 2 through which screws 3H, 3H! are threaded, they extending toward each other and being respectively movable into contact with upper and lower edges of the adjacent support-projection. The lever 336 also has a horizontally extending arm provided with a rounded inner end 3l8 through which passes a vertical actuating rod 326). About the rod and engaging opposite sides of the lever-end 3W. are

short, flanged sleeves 322, 322, which are urged toward each other against the lever-end by helical springs 324, 32d. The springs surround the rod and at the outer extremities abut against pairs of nuts and lock-nuts 322a, 3226 threaded upon the rod. This rod 323 is reciprocated once for each nail-delivery by connection to an arm 32% fixed upon the outer end of a spindle 33B turning at one side of the frame. The spindle has upon its inner extremity an arm 332, upon which is a roll lying in a cam-groove 333 in an oscillatory lever 334. The oscillation of the lever reciprocates the rod 320 and, through the springs 324, yieldably rocks the lever 336. This, in turn, reciprocates the separating plate 28! to an extent allowed by the engagement of the ends of the screws 3M with the edges of the support at 212 to pick oii loads of nails, as has already been described. The interposition of the springs in the connections prevents injury to the mechanism if clogging occurs, and adjustment of the screws 3M determines the extent of movement of the separating plate in each direction.

In the use of the mechanism, the receptacles 203 are charged with nails or other fastenings of the kinds and sizes appropriate to the work in hand; the slides ZIB are in continuous reciprocation and, by their depressions 2H, lift the nails from the masses in the receptacles and direct them into the raceway-slots 2.13. If the nails become crossed upon the upper surface of the raceway, the slide-projections 249, without disturbing the nails hanging by their heads in the slots, carry the crossed nails back into the pockets 252, from which they are swept into the receptacles by the fingers 253. The nails gather in continuous series in the raceway-slots, being stopped at the lower extremities by the unbroken portions of the separating plate 281. As this plate reciprocates, it picks off successive loads of nails in the slots 288 and carries these to the depressions 284 in the wall 282, through which depressions, the passages 293 and the tubes 2% they fall and are transferred to the machine M to be supplied. Adjustments at 215, 281 and at 286 provide for the accurate positioning of the plate 281 and the wall 282 for nails having shanks and heads of different dimensions. The separatorplate is yieldably reciprocated through the rod 320 and its connections, to opposite limits precisely determined by the contact of the screws 318 with the separator-support.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway, a nailreceptacle provided with a bottom wall hinged to move between opposite side walls, means for reicasably securing the bottom wall to move between the side walls from a closed fastening-retaining position to an open fastening-discharging position, in the latter: position the bottom and side walls serving as a fastening-chute, and means situated at the hinge of the bottom wall for elevating fastenings from the receptacle to the raceway to which said bottom wall delivers in its closed position.

2. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway, a nailreceptacle provided with a bottom wall hinged to move between opposite side walls, and a fastening-elevator for delivering to the raceway, said elevator being movable between the hinge of the bottom wall and the front wall of the receptacle.

3. In combination, raceways, two fasteningreceptacles co-operating therewith, an elevating slide movable in each receptacle to deliver to its raceway, a lever, links joining the opposite ends of the lever to the two slides, and means for oscillating the lever.

l. In combination, raceways, two fasteningreceptacles co-operating therewith, an elevating slide movable in each receptacle to deliver to its raceway, a lever, links joining the opposite ends of the lever to the two slides, and means connected to one of the links for oscillating the lever.

5. In combination, raceways, two fastening-receptacles co-operating therewith, an elevating slide movable in each receptacle to deliver to its raceway, a lever joined at its opposite ends to the elevating slides, a rotary and reciprocatory actuating member, means for moving the actuating member, and means for communicating the movement of the actuating member to the lever.

6. In combination, raceways, two fasteningreceptacles co-operating therewith, an elevating slide movable in each receptacle todeliver to its raceway, a lever joined at its opposite ends to the elevating slides, a reciprocatory rack connected to one slide, a stationary rack spaced from the reciprocatory rack, a reciprocatory actuating slide, and a pinion rotatable upon the actuating slide and meshing with both racks.

'7. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway, a receptacle for supplying fastenings to the raceway, and a clearer having a fastening engaging portion movable above the raceway and a fastening-engaging portion movable below the raceway.

8. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway having beneath it a pocket which may receive fastenings from the raceway, a receptacle for supplying fastenings to the raceway and opening into the pocket, and a clearer provided with a portion movable along the upper surface of the raceway and with a finger extending into the pocket.

9. In a fastening-distributor, a frame, a raceway carried thereby, a receptacle for supplying fastenings to the raceway, a bar arranged to reciprocate longitudinally of the raceway and having a portion resting upon the frame and by which it is guided, and spring-actuated slides 10. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway, a receptacle for supplying fastenings to the raceway,

-1 a bar arranged to reciprocate longitudinally of the raceway, slides movable upon the bar and co-operating with the raceway, and eccentric means individual to each slide and arranged tovary the position of such slide.

11. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with slots along which nails are conveyed hanging by their heads and with walls rising above the nail-heads at opposite sides of the slots, a receptacle supplying nails to' the raceway, and a clearer having a nail-engaging portion movable along the walls and above the nail-heads in the slots.

12. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with slots along which nails are conveyed hanging by their heads and with walls rising above the nail-heads at opposite sides of the slots, a receptacle supplying nails to the raceway, a bar arranged to reciprocate along the tops of the walls and being provided with Ways, slides movable in the ways, and means arranged to vary the extent *of movement of the slides in the ways.

13. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with slots along which nails are conveyed hanging by their heads and with walls rising above the nail-headsat opposite sides of the slots, a recep- :tacle supplying nails to the raceway, a clearer having a nail-engaging portion movable along the walls above the nail-heads in the slots, and projections from said portions extending between the walls but being above the heads of the nails in the slots.

14; In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with slots along which nails are conveyed hanging by their heads, a receptacle supplying nails 4 t the raceway, a lever extending above the raceway,

' a clearer pivoted upon the upper end of the lever and resting upon the raceway, a plunger yieldable upon the lever beneath the raceway, and means acting upon the plunger for oscillating the lever.

15. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway, a receptacle, a fastening-elevating member movable in the receptacle and delivering to the raceway, a fastening-clearing member movable in co-operationwith the raceway, and means for communicating the movement of one of the members tog the other.

16. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway, a re-- ceptacle, a fastening-elevating member movable in the receptacle to deliver to the raceway and provided with a cam-surface, a fastening-clearing member movable in co-operation withthe raceway, and an actuating member for the clearing member movable by the cam-surface.

17. In a fastening-distributor, a raceway, a receptacle for supplying fastenings to the raceway,-

a fastening-elevator movable in the receptacle to deliver to the raceway and provided with a camsurface, a clearer having a fastening-engaging portion co-operating with the raceway, and a lever actuated by the cam-surface and by which the clearer is moved.

18. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a wall spaced from the end of the raceway, there being nail-receiving depressions in the wall between the slots, and a movable separator-plate provided with slots which may register with the raceway-slots and with the wall-depressions.

'19. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a wall spaced from the end of the raceway, there being nail-receiving depressions in the wall between the slots; and a movable separator-plate provided with slots which ,may register with the raceway-slots and with the the raceway, a wall secured to the supporting.

member and provided with depressions, said wall being spaced from the end of the raceway, and a separator-plate movable in the space and provided with slots co-operating with the racewayslots and with the depressions, the supporting member, the wall and the separator-plate being removable together from the raceway as a unit.

21. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a wall spaced from the end of the raceway and having nail-receiving depressions between the slots, 2. separator-plate movable in the space and provided with slots which may register with the raceway-slots and with the wall-depressions, and means arranged to vary the distance of the wall from the end of the raceway.

22. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a wall spaced from the end of the raceway and having nail-receiving depressions between the slots, a separator-plate movable in the space and provided with slots which may register with the raceway-slots and with the wall-depressions, and means arranged to vary the relation of the upper edge of the separator-plate to the nail-supporting surface of the raceway.

23. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a supporting member attached at its opposite extremities to the end of the raceway, a wall secured to the supporting member and provided with depressions, said wall" being spaced from the end of the raceway, a separator-plate movable in the space and pro vided with slots co-operating with the racewayslots and with the depressions, and means arranged to fix the wall in diiTerent positions upon the supporting member.

24. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a supporting member attached at its opposite extremities to theend of the raceway, a wall secured to the supporting member and provided with depressions, said wall being spaced from the end of the raceway, a separator-plate movable in the space and provided with slots (So-operating with the depressions, and means arranged to raise and lower the wall upon the support and with it the separator plate.

25. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a wall spaced from the end of the raceway and having nail-receiving depressions between the slots; there being vertical passages in the raceway alined with the depressions and recesses about the passages, and nailreceiving tubes seated in the recesses.

26. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a wall spaced from the 7 raceway-slots, a lever by which the plate is reciprocated, an oppositely movable actuating member, and springs through which the movement of the member in both directions is communicated to the lever.

28. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a reciprocatory separating plate having slots co-operating with the raceway-slots, a lever by which the plate is reciprocated, an oppositely movable threaded rod, nuts upon the rod, sleeves surrounding the rod and contacting with opposite edges of the lever, and springs interposed between the sleeves and nuts.

29. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a reciprocatory separating plate having slots co-operating with the raceway-slots, a lever, means for oscillating the lever, and a hook connecting the lever and separating means and arranged for movement into and out of active relation.

30. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a reciprocatory separating plate having slots co-operating with the raceway-slots, a lever fulcrumed upon the raceway and by which the separating plate is reciprocated, and contact means adjustably determining the movement of the lever in both directions.

31. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a reciprocatory separating plate having slots co-operating with the raceway-slots, a lever fulcrumed upon the raceway and by which the separating plate is reciprocated, and screws adjustable upon the lever at opposite sides of a portion of the raceway and contacting therewith.

32. In a nail-distributor, a raceway provided with nail-conveying slots, a reciprocatory separating plate having slots co-operating with the raceway-slots, a lever fulcrumed upon the raceway and by which the separating plate is reciprocated, screws adjustable upon the lever at opposite sides of a portion of the raceway and contacting therewith, and yieldable means for oscillating the lever.

JOHN F. STANDISH. LESTER S. MACDONALD. 

